Fire, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,506,559) discloses a process of introducing RNA into a living cell to inhibit gene expression of a target gene in that cell. The RNA has a region with double-stranded structure. Inhibition is sequence-specific in that the nucleotide sequences of the duplex region of the RNA and of a portion of the target gene are identical. Specifically, Fire, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,506,559) discloses a method to inhibit expression of a target gene in a cell, the method comprising introduction of a double stranded ribonucleic acid into the cell in an amount sufficient to inhibit expression of the target gene, wherein the RNA is a double-stranded molecule with a first ribonucleic acid strand consisting essentially of a ribonucleotide sequence which corresponds to a nucleotide sequence of the target gene and a second ribonucleic acid strand consisting essentially of a ribonucleotide sequence which is complementary to the nucleotide sequence of the target gene. Furthermore, the first and the second ribonucleotide strands are separately complementary strands that hybridize to each other to form the said double-stranded construct, and the double-stranded construct inhibits expression of the target gene.
To utilize RNA interference as a method to regulate gene expression for control, a specific essential gene needs to be targeted. Coordinated gene expression requires factors involved in transcription and translation. Translation initiation coordinates activities of several eukaryotic initiation factors (eIF) or proteins which are classically defined by their cytoplasmic location and ability to regulate the initiation phase of protein synthesis. One of these factors, the eIF4F complex involves the expression of two proteins EIF(iso)4E-2 and EIF4G.
Disclosed in Caranta et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 7,919,677) is a method to obtain Potyvirus resistant plants having mutations in an eIF4E translation factor region. Additionally, disclosed in Jahn et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 7,772,462) is silencing of translation initiation factor eIF4E from Capsicum annuum imparted virus resistance to transgenic plants. Given the interest and showing of viral resistance to poyviruses related to eIF4 region, there is a need in the art to determine whether targeting eIF(iso)4E-2 or eIF4G via RNA interference induces viral resistance in vial susceptible plants.